Pope Francis becomes the touchstone in the universal basic income movement

“It would ensure and concretely realize the ideal, so humane and so Christian, of no worker without rights,” he wrote.

The pope said in that letter that some of society’s lower class members “have been excluded from the benefits of globalization” and often fall through the cracks of existing labor protections.

It was not a passing thought. Pope Francis continues to talk about it, most recently on Friday during a meeting with members of Popular Movements — a group of grassroots leaders from five continents. The pope told them that UBI, in the age of AI and automation, should not be considered just “compassion” but “strict justice,” according to the Vatican.

A basic income – recurring, unconditional payments – falls into two categories: universal and guaranteed. The latter targets specific groups of people, usually low-income or other vulnerable communities. A universal basic income would work for all citizens regardless of their economic status.

Both programs allow beneficiaries to spend the money as they wish. It’s different from government assistance programs like SNAP, which require recipients to use the money for things like food and healthcare.

A basic income is popular with the Silicon Valley crowd, who believe that many people may lose their jobs to artificial intelligence in the future.

Nearly 12 million Americans with jobs in declining demand will have to change jobs by 2030, according to a McKinsey analysis published in July. The researchers said AI is a key driver of change, estimating that 30 percent of hours worked in the United States could be automated by 2030.

The Vatican did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider about the Pope’s support for UBI.